We are alive at a critical time in history. Change, upheaval, and emergence are happening all over the planet.

We hear a deep call to service in this crazy, chaotic, beautiful world. As musicians, we stand for a connected and woke humanity. We do our best to evoke love, authenticity, and community wherever we go.

We are The Seventh String. We use & believe in the power of music to build community and open people's hearts to one another. “Off To Starboard,” our studio debut, weaves original and traditional music into a tribute to the complex
realities of being alive on Planet Earth.

OUR STORY

The Seventh String is the transcendental folk collaboration of Katie Stellar (guitar, vocals, washboard, doumbek, banjo), Laura Benson (fiddle, vocals, guitar, banjo), and Firefly Walter (guitar, vocals, 8-string ukulele). We’re all singers and songwriters, and have loved and studied music for more than six decades combined. We’re also longtime friends, and have played and created music together for years.

We love folk music ~ we all count our roots in the music of our people (mostly Ireland, Scotland, and Germany). Laura’s a Scottish fiddler, with a deep love of travel, bluegrass music and a good jam. Stellar grew up equally enchanted with Tracy Chapman and Celtic music, bouncing from clarinet to voice to finally guitar and traditional percussion. Firefly brings twists of rock and gypsy jazz to sweet songs of the spirit and heart. Together we love harmonies, 400-year-old tunes, songwriting, and passing the instruments around every chance we get.

"Off To Starboard" is our first full-length album, and it's full of songs about love,
loss, life, death, and trees. Songs that, in the long tradition of folk
music, sing simply and profoundly to some of our most basic human
experiences.

THE BREAKDOWN

$5,000 will fund the recording & production of the album, including:

Professional mixing and mastering of 12-13 songs

CD production & digital distribution

ASCAP & ISRC memberships, copyright registrations, & UPC purchase

Cover song licensing, album art & videography

$7,000, our first stretch goal, will allow us to produce physical CDs using ECO FRIENDLY materials! We are passionate about using materials in an ecologically sustainable way, which means using high quality recycled materials and nontoxic ink. Help us be good stewards of the Earth's resources while also creating beautiful art!

$10,000, our second stretch goal, will enable us to throwhigh-profile community fundraising events for causes that matter in our two artistic homes: Austin, Texas and the San Francisco Bay Area. (Urban farming. Water. Homelessness. Gender & LGBTQ equality. Racial justice. Education. You get the idea.) We've each done work along these lines for years; now, in these critical times, we want to create events together that use art, music, and poetry to highlight critical issues, strengthen communities, and connect supporters & organizers with each other. Reaching $10,000 will allow us to rent venues, pay people for their time, create promotional
materials, and donate our own time.

$15,000, our third stretch goal, will let us publish a book of our poetry! Yes, we're all poets in addition to songwriters. If we reach this amount, we will dedicate ourselves to independently publishing an illustrated book of our poetry together. All Kickstarter backers will receive a copy, regardless of support level. We usually just share our poetry online, live or with friends ~ help us get it out into the world in book form.

HOW TO SUPPORT

BACK OUR PROJECT ~ check out those perks! There’s the music of course, but also posters (featuring the work of Hussam Awadalla), t-shirts (by Brand Marinade), stickers, house concerts, and high-level access to the band.

SHARE THIS PAGE ~ let your family and friends know about this project! You can link to us on social media, spread the word on FB & e-mail, and talk us up by word of mouth.

COME TO OUR SHOWS ~ We perform frequently in both the San Francisco Bay Area and Austin, and have bigger tours in our dreams. “Like” our band page, come hear us play, and bring your friends. The music we make is only as good as the people who love to listen to it.

Thank you for supporting independent music. You are helping to make our dream come true!

Risks and challenges

We foresee few challenges in bringing this project to completion. Recording is already underway, and should be complete by early spring. Mixing, mastering and production stands to be finished by midsummer, with rewards distribution beginning in late summer 2017.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $75 or more
About $75

Ohmygosh, Liner Notes and A Poster!

You're in our liner notes! We're on your wall! You'll receive a hug, a rad band sticker, a digital download of "Off To Starboard," a signed CD, YOUR NAME in our liner notes, and our gorgeous, limited-edition "Off To Starboard" poster, designed by Hussam Awadalla and signed by the band.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

Ohmygosh, The Bloopers!

You get exclusive access to the "bloopers reel!" We are ridiculous, and the camera caught a lot of it while filming our Kickstarter video. Missed script cues, dropping stuff, warmups that sound like whale songs...it's all here, and you will love it.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $125 or more
About $125

Ohmygosh, We're On Your Back!

You're in our liner notes, and we're on your back! You'll receive a hug, a rad band sticker, a digital download of "Off To Starboard," TWO signed CDs, your name in our liner notes, a signed poster, and our soft, lovely, limited-edition "Off To Starboard" t-shirt!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $200 or more
About $200

Ohmygosh, Arbor Day Came Early!

You make our hearts sing! In your honor, we will plant a tree on Planet Earth (other planets pending). You will also receive a hug (or three), a rad band sticker, a digital download of "Off To Starboard," TWO signed CDs, your name in our liner notes, a signed poster, and a t-shirt.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $300 or more
About $300

Ohmygosh, We're Singing To You!

Want to hear us sing? We'll serenade you in person! Live far away? We'll serenade you over Skype! You will also receive a hug (maybe three), a rad band sticker, a digital download of "Off To Starboard," TWO signed CDs, your name in our liner notes, a signed poster, a t-shirt, and a tree planted in your honor.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

Let's Take A Breath...

DID YOU KNOW that, in addition to making music, Stellar, Laura and Firefly are all trained in the healing arts? You can schedule a coaching session with Stellar, a Reiki session with Laura (in-person only), or a spiritual counseling session with Firefly. Choose up to 2! You will also receive a hug (maybe three), a rad band sticker, a digital download of "Off To Starboard," TWO signed CDs, your name in our liner notes, a signed poster, a t-shirt, and a tree planted in your honor.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

Ohmygosh, We're In Your Living Room!

Throw an intimate Seventh String concert for your friends next time we're in your neighborhood! You'll receive a hug (probably more like five), a rad band sticker, a digital download of "Off To Starboard," multiple signed CDs, your name in our liner notes, two signed posters, a t-shirt, a tree, and a sweet acoustic evening with the band.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,500 or more
About $1,500

Ohmygosh More Bands In Your Living Room!

Throw a multiple-band concert for your friends! You'll receive a hug (probably more like five), a rad band sticker, a digital download of "Off To Starboard," multiple signed CDs, your name in our liner notes, two signed posters, a t-shirt, a tree, and a sweet evening with our band and another band we're friends with. Genre negotiable, though we're unsure whether we know any black metal bands.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $2,000 or more
About $2,000

OH MY GOODNESS, YOU'RE A PRODUCER!

Wow! You really want this album to happen! You have earned access to every reward, PLUS the official title of "Executive Producer" of "Off To Starboard!" And like, ten trees. In short, you are incredible and we are amazed!